CD-R burning and conclusion
What does the ability to write a CD at 48x give you ?. Using the latest version of Ahead's Nero burning software, I set the TX Venus II the task of burning a 702MB DivX rip on 48x certified media.
The total time is an amalgamation of the time taken to initialise, the time taken to write the lead-in and lead-out tracks, and, of course, the recording time. The 2 minutes and 53s was consistent on all three runs.
Conclusion
It's undoubtedly fast. Burning a 702MB CD in under 3 minutes is no mean feat. The advantages of increasing the writing speed will always be offset by the time it takes to write the lead-in and lead-out tracks. Until manufacturers can devise a faster method, and ensure that the CD-ReWriters can write at a sustained 40x+ speed, I doubt we'll see the 2-minute barrier broken.
What's also pleasing is the fact that it's such a good reader of both pressed audio and data discs. With more and more people interested in transplanting their CD collections on to their PCs, CD-ripping speed is of some importance. The fact that it can write to 99-minute CDs is always a bonus.
Another pleasing aspect is the conformance to the new Mount Rainier standard. This standard should allow CD-based drives to be as easy-to-use as a floppy drive. The standard attempts to initiate some common ground with respect to CD-RW standards, with the express aim of making all recorders more user friendly.
The CD-RW speed of 24x is impressive, but it's currently difficult to purchase media that's compatible with the 24x ReWriting standard, hence the lack of CD-RW benchmarks and results. Still, as like much in the computing industry, I'm sure we'll see these discs trickle into the retail domain before too long.
If you've got an older drive, I'd recommend the Tx Venus II. It excels in not just writing but also in reading. With an street price of £49.49, it's not too heavy on the pocket either. I just hope that a decent software bundle is provided.
Highs
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An excellent reader of both factory-pressed and CD-R media
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48x CD-R speed (CAV) is impressive
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Mount Rainier support
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24x CD-RW support (although compatible media is hard to locate)
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£50 or so is relatively good value
Lows
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This industry is quick, there are already 52x drives out - Tx have one themselves at a small premium over this one
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Is quite noisy when running at full steam. That's to be expected though.
8/10.
Buy one over here
